AquaJets fly at home meet

The host Kelowna AquaJets found the familiar surroundings very much to their liking at the May May Long Course Invitational swim meet at H2O.

hosted their May Long Course Invitational at H2O last weekend.

With 375 swimmers from 19 clubs competing, AquaJets swimmers produced multiple finalists, aggregate trophy winners and new provincial qualifiers on their way to capturing the overall team trophy.

Leading the way was Abigail Jerome who dominated the 11-and-under girls age group as she swam to first-place finishes in six of her seven individual events and easily won the aggregate award for that group. Jerome also broke meet records in the 11 and under category in four events: 50 butterfly; 100 fly; 50 freestyle; and 200 Individual Medley.

Also picking up aggregate awards and thus showing their all-round ability were Erin Epp (2nd place in 12-13 girls); Volodymyr Matushevskyy (3rd place in 12-13 boys); Cameron McInnes (2nd place in 14-15 boys) and Matt MacDonald (3rd place in 14-15 boys).

In the 16-and-over age group, AquaJets girls swept the aggregate awards with Axana Merckx taking the top prize and Gabrielle Hanvold and Christina Russo taking 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Meanwhile on the boys’ side, in 16-andover, Marc Toyata took 2nd overall and Maxime Cousnard took 3rd overall.

A number of club records fell at the meet including Aiden Kirk, 9, who claimed four records in the 10-and-under setting new marks in 200 free, 50 free and 100 fly as well as lowering his own 50 fly record.

Sawyer Nabozniak, also 9, broke the record for 50 back, while Sara Gray, 10, lowered her own record in her 400 IM.

Other record breakers included Keaton Russell who lowered Josh Zakala’s six-year-old record in 50 backstroke; Flyn Huber in the 50 fly and Andrea Kraetzer in the 50 free.

A number of swimmers posted new provincial and national qualifying times at the meet. AA provincial standards were achieved by Athina Merckx (200 IM in 3:10.51) and Kodi Wiman (50 free in 34.65 and 200 breaststroke in 3:26.88).

AAA provincial standards were achieved by Keaton Russell (100 back in 1:13.12 and 50 back in 33.99); Noah Semashkewich (200 breast in 2:59.58); Flyn Huber (200 breast in 2:56.64 and 400 IM in 5:44.72) and Volodymyr Matushevskyy (1500 free in 20:26.63).

Two swimmers posted qualifying times for the Canadian Junior Championships. Erin Epp posted her time in the 200 breast in a time of 2:53.01 while Andrea Kraetzer’s record-breaking of 28.22 in 50 free was also a qualifying time for her.